


Jenny Jackson   vs      the Angel of Destiny

by Nicknack2814



Category: Charmed
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-04-25 17:14:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4969486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicknack2814/pseuds/Nicknack2814
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jenny Jackson was just an ordinary girl who happened to grow up with the Halliwells, she was accustomed to her mortal life in their magical world. But all that changed the day her mom died. Now Jenny has to figure out where her destiny lies, but can she do it in time to change it if her heart doesn't truly lie with it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Forever changed

Jenny felt her heart drop and her blood run cold. She'd always quite liked being able to read people, her ability to perceive a person or situation was uncanny, especially for a mortal. But right now she'd give anything not to know exactly what her mother's best friend was going to say to her, she'd give anything just to have those few more seconds of normality back.  
"Jenny..." Phoebe started,  
"No...no...please, no..." Jenny felt the tears start falling, she'd forgotten where she was and who she was surrounded by as her legs gave way beneath her. She felt arms wrap around her from behind and catch her before she hit the ground, she heard muted voices panicking and asking questions, she saw Phoebe run towards her with nothing but sorrow etched on her face. Jenny's mom was dead, and no amount of reading things was going to change that, and by the look on her Aunt Phoebe's face, no amount of magic would either.

Jenny woke with a start in the middle of the night. She was in Mel's bedroom, the light of the moon shone through the cracks in the curtains and there was a breeze coming from one of the windows that had been left slightly ajar. Jenny breathed in stilted breaths, desperately trying not to cry again. It was only two in the afternoon when she'd passed out, it was Chris who caught her and Piper was only inches behind Phoebe when she went running to her. Phoebe was going to take Jenny home but Piper managed to persuade her to put her to bed at the manor, Mel instantly gave up her room for her best friend. Jenny's mom was Phoebe's best friend which meant Jenny had been firmly attached to the Halliwells since before she could remember, her and the oldest four Halliwell girls had been almost inseparable until they'd started magic school. They'd all grown apart over the last few years, Tam and Kat had found their niche at school as had PJ but Mel and Jenny just couldn't seem to let each other go. They had friends at their respective schools but it became more and more apparent that they were definitely best friends forever, for life. Jenny looked around the room with a sad heart, marvelling at how nothing looked like it had changed yet she knew everything had. Her mom was her world, it had been just the two of them since Jenny was born, she didn't know what she was supposed to do now, she didn't know how she was supposed to move forward or even make it to the next day. She felt numb inside and out, like she was in a padded cell but the walls were clear and she could see out. Jenny felt her tears start falling again, like it was just going to happen now no matter what. She climbed out of the bed and quietly left the room.

Jenny padded softly downstairs, determined not to wake anyone. She needed time to herself, time to feel normal without someone looking at her in sympathy. She was still crying but she needed to cry so she didn't try to stop. She could feel her body's hunger but the thought of eating anything made her feel sick so she tipped out a bowl of fruit loops and just picked at them now and again. The kitchen was dark and quiet, it felt nice to be alone and to sit and think. Sure, everything Jenny thought about made her cry more, made her heart ache harder and made the pain she felt stronger, but she had to feel it. If she didn't feel it, she really would have lost her mom. At least the pain helped her remember, the ache reminded her that what she had with her mom was beyond measurable and the tears were each a memory ingrained in her head instead of fading away. She heard the sound of orbs behind her and turned to see Chris standing there, he had grey sweat pants on and his hair was a mess. Jenny couldn't help but smile at the state of him.  
"Hey," she said, barely above a whisper,  
"Hey," Chris smiled back, "I didn't realise anyone was up, I can leave if you want?"  
"No, it's ok, I've been down here a while now, some company wouldn't go amiss," her eyes glistened still, "that is if you don't mind putting up with my leaking eyes," she said a little hoarsely,  
"I'd be a bit concerned if they weren't," Chris said, coming to sit beside her and grabbing a few fruit loops,  
"So, you probably know why I'm up, what about you? Why can't you sleep?" Jenny asked, her voice thick with tears,  
"Well, I dunno, sometimes I just wake up for no reason, but I think it's cause Zoe and Mel snore, a lot," he laughed making Jenny giggle through her tears,  
"Your mom put Mel in your room with you and your girlfriend?" She couldn't help but love Piper's sense of humour,  
"I know right, something about 'you promised me you wouldn't get up to anything when you stay here together so you shouldn't have anything to worry about', it's like she took the opportunity to check," Chris smiled at Jenny, and then looked at her seriously, "I'm sorry about your mom Jen,"  
"Thanks," she looked up expecting to see the look of pity she'd found on every other face since she saw Phoebe's, but all she saw was Chris's sincerity and his compassion. She couldn't help it but her tears started falling faster and she felt her breathing become stilted again.  
"Hey, hey," Chris moved to put his arms around her, he pulled her into a hug and picked her up, sitting back down with her on his lap,  
"I'm sorry," Jenny managed say through great wracking sobs,  
"Don't be," Chris squeezed her tightly, he put his chin on her head and rubbed her back, just letting her cry and trying his best to comfort her. 

A few hours later Jenny managed to calm herself enough to let Chris go. She breathed in shakily as she sat back on her stool. The sun had started peeking through the blinds and it seemed to warm the kitchen. Jenny could still feel the gapping hole in her heart but she felt a tiny bit better for having a proper cry.  
"Thanks Chris, I'm really sorry," she hiccuped,  
"Hey, you just lost your mom, you've got nothing to be sorry about," Chris looked her in the eye, "it's what friends are for," he smiled,  
"You're gonna make me cry again," Jenny laughed a little,  
"Well, at least someone'll look worse than I do today," he grinned,  
"Hey!" Jenny found herself smiling despite herself, "you don't exactly set a high bar you know,"  
"Thanks! After letting you literally use my shoulder to cry on...charming!" He laughed, "I could have done with one of those cloths you use when you burp a baby,"  
"I don't know whether to be offended or impressed that you know such a thing exists!" Jenny smiled through her sniffs,  
"Go with impressed, it sounds better," he smiled back and jumped down from his stool, "coffee?" He asked Jenny as he began putting a pot on ready for everyone else when they woke too,  
"Yeah, sounds good," Jenny nodded, picking up a few fruit loops and munching on them, trying to appease her body and her emotional state at the same time. 

Before long the kitchen was filled with people all milling around, trying to act normal and at the same time not ignore what happened yesterday. It made for a very interesting and somewhat amusing situation, if Jenny hadn't been in so much pain she would have been laughing. She excused herself fairly quickly and with as much refrain as possible, then made her way up the stairs and back to Mel's bedroom. She got back into the bed and wrapped the covers around her, taking a little comfort in the cool of the fabric on her skin. Her tears continued to fall thick and fast, her body was near exhaustion from it but she couldn't stop. She didn't hear Piper come in, put a drink down on the bedside table and lay beside her on the bed. Piper pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair as she cried. She eventually fell asleep in her arms and Piper quietly manoeuvred off the bed and walked back down the stairs.

"She's asleep," Piper sighed, looking around the front room, her three children looked back alongside her sisters and their children and all their partners, they'd only just managed to squeeze into the space,  
"So, we need to find out who killed Sarah and why," Phoebe said,  
"Huh? I thought it was a car accident?" Wyatt asked, confused,  
"It was set up to look that way, but to be honest, it looks like a demon took her out, only I can't work out why, she was a mortal," Phoebe frowned not only to the room but to herself,  
"What makes you think it's a demon?" PJ questioned her mom,  
"Because it was an energy ball that took the car out, it would have happened so quickly too, otherwise she'd have called for help, so it must have been planned," Phoebe concluded,  
"Well, I'll check around with all my contacts at Magic School," Leo nodded to the group, "see if I can't find out something,"  
"I just don't know why they'd want her dead, Sarah was mortal, she wasn't magical, she wasn't a future whitelighter or anything like that," Phoebe continued shaking her head, as if the answers might fall out of it,  
"Maybe if you talked to Jen?" Chris suggested, "she might be able to tell you why,"  
"She's feeling too much to help right now, even with her knack for seeing things, her emotions are too compromised, I can't tell her all this yet, and I don't want to add to her pain," Phoebe sighed,  
"She's stronger than you think," Chris said, making a few people frown,  
"She deserves to know the truth too," Mel spoke up, "regardless of how well you think she'll react, Sarah was her mom and she has the right to know,"  
"And she will, just not yet," Phoebe assured her niece, "just keep an eye on her, make sure she's safe, I'll talk to her about moving to ours when she wakes up,"  
"Aunt Phoebe, I don't think that's a good idea," Jenny appeared in the doorway,  
"Jenny! How long have you been there?" Phoebe asked, a little flustered,  
"Long enough," Jenny gave her an unamused look, she wasn't exactly mad at Phoebe for trying to protect her but she wasn't exactly thrilled at the secrets either,  
"You were asleep," Piper looked at her frowning,  
"Almost asleep, my mom dying doesn't change how I know when something's up," Jenny said quietly,  
"Jenny..." Phoebe started,  
"It's ok, I understand, you were just trying to protect me, yadda yadda yadda," Jenny sighed, rolling her eyes, "I get all that, I know now so you can't stop me from helping, but moving in with you is a bad idea,"  
"But Jenny, you're only eighteen, you're still a minor, you can't live by yourself and I'm not sure that would be a good idea anyway," Phoebe tried to reason with her,  
"No, I know that, but you're an empath, it's not fair to put that on you all the time," Jenny said, "even though you're an adult and you can handle it, Penny isn't, she's thirteen and she can't live with me like this,"  
Phoebe turned to look at her youngest daughter, totally confused by what Jenny had just said until she saw Penny's face. She was white and pale, like she was about to throw up any minute, she was fiercely trying to blink back tears and looked like it was taking every ounce of energy she had not to fall apart; she looked like Jenny.  
"How did I not see that?" Phoebe looked at Penny, "Honey, why didn't you say anything?" She looked at her daughter,  
"I didn't want you to worry, or do something stupid, like bind my powers," Penny sniffed, "it's starting gradually, I can handle it, there are just times where it's a little overwhelming," she looked down at her feet,  
"I can't live with you, it's not fair on Penny," Jenny looked back to Phoebe,  
"Uh, well..." Phoebe couldn't argue that,  
"Live here," Piper said,  
"Here?" Jenny frowned, "but..."  
"Not buts, you can share Mel's room, we'll sort it out later, it's big enough for two," Piper said, in a tone that made Jenny realise she didn't have a choice,  
"Is that ok with you Mel?" Jenny asked quietly,  
"Do you really have to ask?" Mel grinned at her, "I love you, of course it's ok," Mel stood up and hugged her friend,  
"I love you too, thank you," Jenny squeezed her tight before her tears came again, she wiped them away as she pulled back and excused herself for the second time that day.


	2. More questions

Jenny walked up the stairs with a heavy heart. Knowing it wasn't an accident that killed her mom didn't change the fact that she was dead. Consuming herself with revenge wasn't going to bring her back. Jenny had no idea why anyone would want to kill her mom, least of all a demon. She went and sat on the edge of Mel's bed, a frown on her face and confusion in her mind. She had no answers and she didn't even know where to begin to get those answers. She was so absorbed in her thoughts she barely noticed when a tall, dark man shimmered into the room. She looked up at him, realisation dawning on her face as an energy ball appeared in his hand. She dived just at the right time, scrabbling for the door and screaming the name of every whitelighter she knew as she bolted from the room.

Within seconds Paige, Chris and Wyatt were with her, closely followed by Mel, Zoe, Kat and Tam. PJ beamed in alongside Coop as Piper ran upstairs with Phoebe, Leo and Henry.  
"What happened?" Paige asked,  
"A...a demon...it tried to kill me," Jenny stuttered,  
"What?! Why?!" Piper frowned,  
"I don't know, maybe it's got something to do with mom?" Jenny replied, her hands shaking and her heart still thumping,  
"What happened to it?" Coop looked past Jenny and saw the destruction caused by the the energy ball,  
"I don't know, it just shimmered out," Jenny was on the verge of more tears, but this time it wasn't grief or loss it was a mixture of anger and confusion,  
"Let's go downstairs, get a drink and calm down a bit, try and work out what's happening," Piper took Jenny's hand and led her from the hallway towards the kitchen, Jenny nodded dumbly as she followed. Jenny let go of Piper's hand as they entered the kitchen, she went and sat on a stool at the island and concentrated on her breathing.  
"Why would they be after your family? Why kill your mom and then you? It doesn't make sense!" Phoebe was feeling Jenny's frustration,  
"I don't know, there's nothing about our family that makes us special in any way, nothing about mom or me..." Jenny stopped, "what if..." She began thinking, "what if it wasn't about mom but about me?" Jenny felt her heart quicken again at the sudden realisation, it hadn't occurred to her before, "I still don't know why but yesterday, when mom was in the car, I was supposed to be with her," Jenny started breathing in heavily, she felt her heart almost break, "it's my fault, I know it is, I can't explain it but it's me, it was always me, she was collateral damage, I'm the reason she's dead, it's all my fault!" Jenny cried and nearly collapsed again, feeling herself dissolve into her tears. Henry caught her as she started to fall apart, bringing her face up to look in her eyes.  
"This is not your fault Jen, none of it is, so without sounding like the biggest dick ever, don't get on the self-pity train, I'm pretty sure you already hate how many faces are filled with that look, don't make your own one of them," Henry felt the glare of the group on the back of his neck, but he didn't care; he'd met Jenny when she was three and ever since they'd been as thick as thieves, they were like for like being the only two mortals this deep in the magical world of the Halliwells. Henry Jr became their third musketeer when he was adopted, they seemed to keep each other grounded in their own realities as well as the Halliwell one, and being outsiders in both worlds it meant they never really felt alone. Jenny looked up at Henry and regained her control, she sniffed and launched herself forward, hugging him tight. If ever she needed someone to tell it to her straight, it was usually her Uncle Henry.  
"Thanks Uncle Henry," Jenny let him go,  
"Any time kiddo," Henry smiled and backed away towards the table, sitting down and watching the group assemble. 

"So, we need to figure you out," Phoebe looked at Jenny as she wiped her eyes,  
"Uh huh," Jenny nodded in agreement, "but I don't know where to begin," she forced herself to remain calm,  
"Well, we can ask around for starters, if you don't know anything someone in the magical community must know something, otherwise why would demons be after you?" Paige suggested,  
"That's the best idea we got, so far," Piper said, "so everyone can ask anyone they know who might have the answer, Paige you can go talk to the elders, Coop you can go round up the cupids, maybe talk to Kama, Leo ask around at magic school, same as all you kids, me and Phoebe will go and find our good ol' pals the leprechauns and see what they can glean from the rest of the community," Piper finished assigning tasks, "Jenny, you stay here and rest, Henry will stay with you,"  
"Aunt Piper, it's Sunday," Jenny said, "no one is going to be around at school, and I'm pretty sure no one is going to want to be grilled about this today," she sniffed and gave her a somber smile, "can't we just leave it till tomorrow? One more night won't make a difference,"  
"I suppose not," Piper said after a long pause,  
"I just want time to breath, even if it's only for a few hours," Jenny's eyes started leaking again,  
"Okay, we'll take today to rest and re-adjust, but tomorrow we start working out what's going on," Paige nodded at the group and moved to put a pot of coffee on. Jenny nodded back and waited for them all to start milling around and making noise before she slipped out of the room unnoticed. She made her way out to the back yard and closed the door quietly behind her.

The air was fresh and the sky was bright blue with a few brilliant white clouds dotted about it. Jenny went and sat on a bench across from the house and closed her eyes, relishing the feel of the cool air in her lungs and the light breeze across her face. She heard orbs settle next to her but she kept her eyes closed. Everyone wanted answers, they wanted to get on the case and work out what was going on, but Jenny wanted to grieve her mom. She didn't want to let her go so quickly, she didn't want her memory to be eaten up by this thing which seemed much bigger than them. She needed time, even if it was only a little more time, to say goodbye to her mom and feel her loss before launching into what Jenny felt was going to end up a war. She didn't want to immediately be distracted, her mom deserved more than that, she deserved for Jenny to take the time to remember and take the time to think about her. She deserved so much more than _this_. Jenny breathed in and out with her thoughts, her breath becoming a little ragged as she felt herself getting emotional again. She waited for her tears to start falling again, she felt like she could drown the earth in her tears, but they didn't seem to come.  
"I can't cry," Jenny whispered,  
"I can cry for you if you want," she felt Chris wrap his arm around her and pull her into a hug,  
"I just wanted to cry one last time before we all got consumed with whatever this is," Jenny said quietly, looking up at Chris,  
"I know," he replied, his eyes glistening with his own tears,  
"Thank you," Jenny smiled sorrowfully at him, "for feeling it too, for letting yourself feel it,"  
"Your mom deserved that much, I can't just pretend like most of them do," Chris shrugged, "they do it so easily because they've had to over the years, they haven't ever had the chance to stop and breath, otherwise someone else gets killed, but you didn't just lose a friend, you lost your mom and that needs remembering,"  
"How'd you get to so wise?" Jenny asked,  
"Dunno, I think it's a phase," he laughed quietly and Jenny lent back against the bench with her eyes shut and her head resting on Chris' shoulder.  
"Chris?! There you are!" Zoe's shrill voice resounded through the garden and Jenny lent up to watch her marching across the lawn,  
"Hey Zoe," Jenny said,  
"Hey Jenny, how're doing?" Zoe gave her a small pity-filled smiled,  
"I'm okay, thanks," Jenny smiled back as best she could,  
"Chris, I need to talk to you about something," Zoe gestured to the house and turned, waiting for him to follow,  
"I'll see you in a bit, I'm just gonna hang out here for a little while longer," Jenny said, leaning back against the bench and closing her eyes,  
"Okay, see you in a few," Chris got up and walked back towards the house with Zoe, Jenny breathed out and listened to the sounds of the garden, trying to relax and clear her mind. She thought about her mom, the demon and what it could possibly all mean, she figured opening her mind might allow answers through that she didn't know she had, but it was all pointless, there was nothing there. 

After what felt like forever, Jenny opened her eyes and walked slowly back into the house. Everyone was dotted about the place, some in the front room watching TV, others in the kitchen, a few at the table, and so on all across the house. Jenny went and sat next to Mel on the sofa in the sitting room, she curled up in the opposite corner and drifted off to sleep. When she woke it was time for dinner, Jenny's appetite still wasn't up to much but she hadn't eaten properly since yesterday so she forced a few mouthfuls down her throat. After eating Jenny excused herself and made her way back to bed. It didn't take as long as she thought it would to drift off, considering she'd fallen asleep so late in the day. She managed to sleep a little bit longer this time too, before the nightmares took over. Jenny woke breathing heavily and trying to calm herself down. She swung out of bed and padded downstairs for the second night in a row, pouring herself a bowl of fruit loops and thinking about how she could stop this from becoming a habit.  
"Up again?" Chris said from behind her,  
"Wow, you scared the life out of me!" Jenny jumped and put her hand on her chest,  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Chris smiled,  
"What are you doing awake? Again?" Jenny frowned, "do you really not sleep that well?"  
"Not recently," Chris shrugged, unwilling to admit that it was literally since Jenny started waking up in the night that he had been too,  
"Any reason?" Jenny asked,  
"No, and it's beginning to bug me," he sat on a stool adjacent to Jenny's at the island,  
"Well, since we're up, any ideas on why demons might want to kill me?" Jenny asked, "I've been trying to figure it out and I just can't, I need some elaborate theories thrown at me,"  
"Well, I'm all out of ideas, and I don't really have an imagination wild enough to do elaborate theories, you wanna talk to Wyatt about that one," he grinned, "how're you doing with your mom and all that?"  
"Better, it still sucks, it's still hurts, I still want to cry all the time but I haven't got any tears left right now, I'm gonna be on and off for a while I think," Jenny felt tears sting the backs of eyes but still they didn't fall,  
"Yeah," Chris nodded, he half smiled and half frowned at her,  
"What?"  
"Nothing,"  
"What?!"  
"It's just...you have got to be the most well adjusted person on the planet!" Chris laughed sweetly, "you don't want be consumed by revenge, you know you have to go through all this crap to make it out the other side, you don't want to forget your mom but you know you can't bring her back, you know you have to let yourself feel and not be overwhelmed by it all the time either, you know it's something you're never going to get over yet you're aware it will eventually get better, you're pretty incredible the way you've dealt with all this, you're just pretty incredible," Chris said, blushing slightly at the last bit he couldn't stop flying out,  
"Thanks," Jenny's breath hitched in her throat as she blushed too, there was something about Chris she couldn't quite workout, mainly the effect he could have on her. It was odd but he seemed to read her as well as she read everyone else. When she was sad he knew how to make her happy, when she was angry he knew how to get her to focus, he always seemed to know what she needed and not necessarily just what she wanted. But Chris was taken, he was with Zoe and that's just how things were. Jenny was only nineteen, she'd grown up with Chris, there was no way he'd ever see her that way anyway, so Jenny never bothered indulging herself, she knew it would be far too painful if she let herself hope even for a second.

They stayed up talking for a good few hours, Jenny laughed a few times and cried a few times but she appreciated Chris's company and how he managed to make her feel normal. She felt her heart warming again ever so slightly, the ache dulled just for a second once or twice and she couldn't help but feel a little relief. She could tell Chris would stay up with her as long as she was awake, so for his sake she made her way back to bed around 4am. It was Monday the next day, the day when they would hopefully find some answers from somewhere, the day when everyone had to go back to work and school and things had to carry on as normal. She shed a tear or two as she lay her head back on her pillow, not wanting to watch normality ensue for everyone but her. She'd give anything for the normal she knew two days ago to be the normal she'd wake up to tomorrow, but with a heavy heart she drifted back to sleep knowing it wasn't going to be the case. She woke up to the sound of silence, the house completely empty and a note on the kitchen counter:

_Jenny,_  
_Didn't want to wake you, but we've all gone to work/school/interrogate people, see you soon and call if you need us  
Love Piper (and everyone)_

Okay, that meant Jenny had time to herself that wasn't confined to the bedroom, and didn't include possibly being watched or interrupted by people. She sighed, somewhat relieved for the reprieve. She felt like she'd been scrutinised since she'd learnt about her mom, like everyone was waiting for her to break or something. Except she'd already broken, it just wasn't in the huge dramatic way they were expecting.


	3. Facing up

Chapter Text  
Jenny had most of the day to herself, it was amazing how much more rested she felt just being alone even without much sleep. Before she knew it everyone was making their way back to the manor and starting to regroup, relaying any information they'd managed to gather.  
"No one at school has a clue what might be going on, sorry Jen," Mel said,  
"None of the teachers had any idea either, nor any of the parents," Leo sighed,  
"We pulled up empty with the rest of the magical community," Phoebe said, letting her frustration get the better of her,  
"Yeah, the cupids didn't know anything either," Coop shrugged, giving Jenny an obviously shifty look, he knew something but he wasn't saying,  
"Well, Paige is still up with the elders, we'll hold off till she comes back but we could do with starting a plan just in case she draws a blank too, we can't keep Jenny on lockdown forever," Piper smiled at her,  
"Okay, did you guys wanna check the book, maybe there's a spell or something, I just need a minute, I'm gonna get some air," Jenny gave her best smile back, giving Chris a look to stop him frowning as she turned and walked out the back door. It only took a few minutes and Coop had beamed himself beside her in the back yard.   
Jenny looked at him and folded her arms.  
"So?" Jenny stared her Uncle Coop down,  
"Well, the cupids knew nothing but Kama had an idea, but it is just an idea," Coop couldn't help but smile at the little girl who'd grown up before his very eyes,  
"And?" Jenny asked,  
"Well, Kama thinks you might be the other half of a Great Love," Coop sucked in his breath a little,  
"A what?" Jenny frowned,  
"A Great Love," Coop sighed at Jenny's deeper frown, "It's like a destined, soulmate kind of love, and it produces very powerful children, Kama thinks you're part of one that would produce another pure Cupid, like her," Coop shrugged as Jenny grimaced a little bit,  
"But why?! And why would demons be after me?!" Jenny shook her head,  
"Because another pure Cupid would swing the balance to good and because the world is growing darker and more people are believing less in love. A loveless world is a hopeless one and I don't know about you but I do not like the opposite of hope, we need more Cupids than ever before and another true Cupid would give us the extra power needed to recruit and train more," Coop explained, "if you ask me, it makes sense, you're all about love, but not that fake, movie-romantic love, real love, which is at the heart of every Cupid, especially Kama," Coop shrugged, "it's just a theory though, I just figured you'd want to know, that's what Kama is thinking,"  
"Yeah, theories are better than nothing, so thanks," Jenny gave him a small smile and frowned again, "But it would mean I don't really have a choice who I fall in love with, it would already be destined," Jenny felt tears in her eyes and fear in her heart. She realised how true Coop's words had resounded in her, like she'd always known she was trapped.  
"That's what she said too, and as far as she knows, Great Love occurs by chance, you can't predetermine it because it is based on the feelings and personalities of the couple," Coop said, "love can be destined, Great Love can't, " he sighed, "it doesn't change how she feels, but she's not sure how an undetermined love can be predicted with enough precision that demons would hunt you,"  
"I can't be forced into love," Jenny felt the lump in her throat, "I can't feel that trapped, I'll over analyse every relationship and nothing will last, I don't want to lose all hope in love,"  
"I know that, and I won't let you, Kama said we should talk to the Angel of Destiny, something big is going on here and you're a part of it, but other than the love thing she hasn't got a clue,"  
"If I get told its my destiny just to fall in love and have a child I'm gonna go ape shit and tell that Angel where to shove it," Jenny felt herself tense with her pent up anger,  
"I will back you the whole way, and pay to see that," Coop grinned, giving Jenny a quick squeeze before returning to the rest of the house. 

A couple of hours later Paige orbed back in and everyone gathered in the front room again. Jenny was starting to feel like her life was up for analysis and everyone needed an input, regardless of the fact that she only really wanted about half of the opinions that were being given.  
"So the elders have a small idea of what's going on but nothing very concrete," Paige began,  
"Do they ever really know what's going on?" Mel rolled her eyes and a few of the group laughed,  
"Not really," Paige agreed, "anyhoo, they think it has something to do with your future, you play a big part of some prophecy that holds the key to the balance of good and evil," she shrugged,  
"But...but I...but...no!" Jenny shook her head, "no!"  
"Hey, we don't even know what it is yet, it could be something good?" Chris looked at Paige for encouragement,  
"When was the last time it resulted anything good?" Jenny gave Chris a dead-pan look,  
"I think we need to summon the Angel of Destiny and ask what it all means," Phoebe said,  
"Fine, you guys do that, I'm gonna give that one a miss, I don't want to know my future, or my destiny or whatever," Jenny huffed,  
"Jenny, we can't protect you if we don't know why you're being attacked," Piper said,  
"Yeah, I know, it's why I said you guys go ahead, just only tell me what I really really need to know," Jenny felt tears in her eyes again, and this time they fell, they fell thick and fast and without relent. She felt arms around her fast but had no idea whose, she felt herself being lowered into Mel's bed again and a hand brushing the hair off her face. She couldn't see who it was through her tears but she felt it. Chris kissed her forehead before leaving her to rest some more and headed back down the stairs, thankful that Zoe had headed home before Paige had rallied the troops. 

Jenny woke up in middle of the night again. She sighed as she realised this was now definitely a habit, one she found herself not wanting to break. She wandered downstairs for the third night in a row to find Chris already sat at the table with a bowl of fruit loops.  
"Wow, again?!" Jenny found herself smiling,  
"Yup..." Chris sighed,  
"You really need to find out what's wrong with you," Jenny laughed,  
"Yeah, I know," Chris smiled, "I'll find a spell or something in the morning and try to fix it,"  
"So, anymore ideas about what's going on? What do you think my destiny holds?" Jenny asked,  
"Nothing good..." Chris said without thinking,  
"Thank you for that, I feel tons better!" Jenny laughed,  
"Sorry," Chris gave her a sheepish smile,  
"Nah, don't be, you only said what I'm thinking," Jenny shook her head, "I just wish I knew why..." She whispered, "why me? Why'd my mom have to die? Why did they have to screw with my fate?"  
"Probably because their assholes," Chris said as he took some fruit loops, "I just thought they'd realised they were assholes when they set me, Wyatt and Mel free of our destinies,"  
"Apparently not," Jenny sighed,  
"It's gonna be ok Jen, I promise," Chris said,  
"You can't promise that," Jenny looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "it's not up to you,"  
"Sure I can, I won't watch you hurting, I won't watch them force you into a life you don't want," Chris said fiercely,  
"Chris, it's okay, you don't have to fight for me," Jenny said, "you don't have to get involved, I can fight for myself don't forget,"  
"Oh, I'm well aware of that!" Chris grinned, remembering the many play fights they'd had growing up and the numerous amount of bruises he'd sustained at the hands of Jenny, "but I won't let you fight alone, I'll always be beside you Jen, that's why I can promise it'll be okay,"  
"You know, other than Mel, I'd say you're my best friend," Jenny smiled, "thanks," she said, reaching forward and squeezing Chris' hand. They spent the next three hours talking before Jenny decided it was time for bed. She hugged Chris goodnight.  
"I expect you to have found out why  
you're not sleeping by tomorrow night, I like your company but you need your sleep!" She waved as she walked out of the door. Chris sighed, he knew exactly why he was waking up but it wasn't something he could tell her. It wasn't something he could tell anybody. He kept waking up every night because he felt when Jenny woke, she was scared and hurting still and he seemed to sense it. The worst part was he didn't even care, he actually kinda liked sitting up with her.

The next morning Jenny was actually feeling a lot better. She didn't feel like crying all of the time, instead she was feeling more and more determined to get to the bottom of whatever was going on. If she stood any chance of putting her mom to rest she had to know why someone wanted her dead, and to make sure she didn't die for no reason Jenny had to make sure she stayed alive.  
"So, did you find out anything interesting from the Angel of Destiny?" She asked Piper once she'd made her coffee,  
"I thought you didn't want to know anything?" Piper asked,  
"I don't want to know anything that's going to make me want to vanquish her, I just want to know anything to do with why mom died," Jenny said, feeling a lot of Halliwell eyes on her,  
"Well sweetie," Phoebe started, "it's kind of all the same thing, it would be hard to tell you what you want to know without telling you what you don't want to know," She gave her a grim smile. Phoebe had made sure she was there every morning, and Coop and their girls had tagged along for the ride each day too. Paige and her family had done the same thing so now the whole family were sat in the kitchen waiting for Jenny's response. Only the sisters and their husbands knew what the Angel had said and they wouldn't let it go any further unless Jenny wanted to know all the details.  
"Okay..." Jenny breathed out, "I want to know,"  
"What?" Piper asked, completely taken aback,  
"Well, how bad can it be? I'm going to hate it whether I know about it or not," Jenny said, "I've thought a lot about it, and I'd rather know why my mom died than keep my head buried in the sand,"  
"Okay, fair enough," Piper seemed to be stalling,  
"It's not just about me is it?" Jenny sighed,  
"No it's not," Piper couldn't help but smile, "sometimes I really hate that damn ability of yours,"  
"Me too," Jenny smiled back with another added sigh,  
"So...who else wants to know their destiny? And whether or not it's apparently tied to mine?" Jenny asked the group of second generation Halliwells,  
"Uh...we're all in," Penny looked around the group, sensing how they were all feeling, "we're all terrified but we're all in," she gave a small smile as the rest of the group nodded,  
"Right, well...you might all want to sit down for this one," Piper started as those that were standing found somewhere to perch, "the Angel of Destiny said that you are destined to mother a child that would eventually become a pure Cupid, like Kama," Jenny shot a glance at Coop who smirked, "something it looks like you already know!" Piper glared at Coop,  
"What?!" Coop held his hands up in defence, "it was a theory! I told Jenny!"  
"Okay, so the rest of it..." Jenny tried to take the heat off him,  
"Basically, to make a pure Cupid, you would be have to be a powerful being," Paige carried on as Piper continued to glare at Coop, "united in a powerful and very deep love,"  
"So who is it?" Mel asked, "whose the lucky guy?" She smirked,  
"Wyatt," Jenny answered,  
"How...?" Phoebe frowned,  
"Powerful being that would produce more powerful offspring if united in a Great Love, you seriously think that screams anything but twice-blessed?" Jenny asked,  
"I'm not twice-blessed anymore though, the Angel of Destiny removed all that crap, we were supposed to be free to live our own lives," Wyatt huffed,  
"We know, that's what we told them," Piper sighed, "they said that you are still free, but they make predictions now instead of drawing the fate of others,"  
"Right, so it's basically a prophecy based on almost nothing that's somehow got into demon hands?" Chris asked,  
"Pretty much, yeah," Piper said,  
"But, they don't seriously believe Wyatt and I would ever end up a couple?" Jenny frowned,  
"Yeah, sorry, but that really is laughable," he chuckled to himself,  
"We're friends, that's all we'll ever be," Jenny said, "I mean, when it comes to being attracted to someone or having chemistry or that spark or however you want to put it...we're about as interested in each other as two bookcases! They'd have a better time convincing me that Mel was my true love!"  
"She's totally right, you don't get more platonic than us," Wyatt shrugged,  
"Seriously? You guys would make a really cute couple!" Paige laughed, "you're such good friends..."  
"Paige!" Phoebe glared, "it's not up to you,"  
"Sorry," Paige gave an apologetic smile,  
"Hang on a second..." Jenny frowned, "how many of you think we would make a good couple? That we're just denying our true feelings for one another? That our friendship is hiding something more? Blah blah blah...?"   
She looked around the group as at least half of them put their hands in the air. Chris, Mel, Henry, Coop and Penny were the only ones not loving the idea.  
"You know, I hate to say it Aunt Phoebe, but Penny is a better empath than you already," Jenny sighed in mock disappointment,  
"I know you don't feel it right now, but you have all the potential to start feeling it," Phoebe smiled, "I just think you'd go well together, you get on so well already, it would be like best friends falling in love,"  
"You are such a romantic!" Jenny laughed,  
"I can't help it, I married a Cupid!" Phoebe smiled, happy to hear Jenny starting to sound like her old self,  
"We're both on the same page here, right?" Wyatt looked at Jenny,  
"They're all barking up the wrong tree?" She asked,  
"Yeah," he sighed in relief and Jenny smiled,  
"Don't panic, we'll be fine," she grinned, "but at least we know why demons are after me,"  
"That's true, they'll be trying to kill you because Wyatt is too powerful," Coop said,  
"Well, how long is it going to go on for?" Jenny asked, "besides, I thought you said Great Love produced powerful children but it all depend on the couple and their feelings? How would they even know we'd have a Cupid and not something else?"  
"My guess would be because you're so in tune with love, and you've experienced every kind of love that's out there," Coop shrugged,  
"There's more than one type of love?" Wyatt asked,  
"Well yeah!" Coop laughed, "you telling me you're going to love your wife the same as your sister? Or that you love your parents the same as Chris and Mel?"  
"No, I suppose not," Wyatt said, "I never thought about it like that,"  
"I know, not a lot of people do," Coop said, "but I think that's what the Angel of Destiny is trying to get at, that Wyatt would be the one to turn your love into an actual being, seen as how 'true love' is the one thing you haven't experienced yet,"  
"Great!" Jenny sighed, "so true love is what I'm waiting on, basically,"  
"Yeah, basically," Coop grinned, "aren't we all?"  
"Well, it's not Wyatt, I can tell you that," Jenny huffed,  
"I can vouch for that," Wyatt said,  
"Well, time will tell," Piper said, "in the mean time we need to work out the demon's next move,"  
"Yes, so let's get to it," Jenny said, taking a mouthful of coffee. About two hours later no one had come up with anything. Chris had suggested infiltrating the underworld, something he'd been told his future self had done, but no one was willing to go that far yet. Leo tried calling a few old friends, but they either knew nothing or weren't saying. Coop spoke to Kama again who didn't have any answers, neither did the elders after Paige had scrutinised as many as she could find. Their only option was to sit it out and wait for them to make their move, because anticipating and predicting was getting them nowhere. 

The day past quickly and the night went just as quick. Chris managed to avoid too much interrogation from Jenny when she found him awake again, just the same as her. He didn't really mind waking up in the middle of the night, it was a habit he quite liked and that's what he told her. She seemed to understand and it felt as if they'd fallen into a routine. Two to three hours later after laughing about the idea of Jenny and Wyatt, crying some more about her mom and lightening the mood again with some general conversation, they both headed back up to bed. During the day, Piper and Leo had rearranged Mel's room for both of them to fit. As Jenny slid back into bed and snuggled down, the opposite side of the hall Chris shut his bedroom door behind him. He lent against it, closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. He was in serious trouble and he had no idea what to do about it.


End file.
